This post was originally published on artnews.com
The Kunsthaus Bregenz, a beloved contemporary art museum in Austria, has announced what might already count as the most mysterious show of 2025: an exhibition by an artist whose identity may never be known to the press and the general public.
That makes the show an unusual one for this institution, whose programming regularly includes grandly scaled exhibitions by well-known names. Its programming for next year features shows by Precious Okoyomon and Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, artists who appeared in the main exhibition and the Polish Pavilion of the 2022 Venice Biennale, respectively.
The museum’s release for its 2025 programming included images and extensive information about Okoyomon and Mirga-Tas’s shows. But the exhibition opening in October 10, by an artist referred to in the release only as ███████, came with no description. Its sole image was a confidentiality agreement between the unidentified artist and museum management.
During the course of the exhibition, that agreement reads, “the artist was promised that, as part of the exhibition concept, his or her identity would be kept secret, as far as this is within the legal and actual possibilities of KUB.” Moreover, the museum may be obligated to continue keeping the identity of the artist private even after the show is over in January 2026.
A description on the museum’s site provides a small hint about what the show might ultimately be: “In the fall, a person who wants to remain anonymous, will address the migration of ideas and the question of authorship.” The sole downloadable image on that site for this show is an unsigned NDA agreement.
According to the release imaged within the 2025 program announcement, the museum is “prohibited” from confirming the identity of the artist to the press. The Kunsthaus Bregenz will additionally not comment on what is described in the agreement as “speculation or conjecture” within the press and on social media.
Let the speculation begin—but do not expect any answers anytime soon.
